1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to food and condiment grinding mills such as pepper mills and more particularly to a unique method of dispensing the ground food or condiment.
2. Prior Art
Pepper mills are typical of this type of food mill and for the remainder of this description the invention will be so referenced.
Conventional pepper mills have the undesirable side effect of discharging ground pepper whenever they are returned to the table between uses. After grinding pepper corns over the food an amount of ground pepper remains attached to the grinding surfaces. When the mill is placed on a table or shelf the clinging ground pepper becomes dislodged. In the prior art attempts were made to prevent this undesirable discharge by sealing the base of the mill when not in use. U.S. Pat. No. 4,771,955 to Paulson on Sep. 20, 1988 describes two mechanical methods of preventing unwanted discharge from pepper mills. The first method utilizes a bottom plug type seal that is either opened before use of the mill or is pushed and held down while using the mill. One problem is that pepper will cling to the plug of this design in exactly the same manner as to the grinding surfaces. When the plug is released the clinging pepper will clog the seal surface reducing operational effectiveness. Any ground pepper clinging to the plug will eventually fall off on the table. In the second method slide gates just below the discharge point of the mill are opened during grinding. These gates can be attached to existing mills or made integral with new designs. Whenever gates are used the problem of discharge control arises. When the slide gates are opened or the seal pushed down the pepper caught there is discharged whether that is the correct amount or not. With the slid gate design pepper will accumulate on the inner surface of the gate, then the pepper will eventually fall out in clumps.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,231,527 to Bounds Nov. 4, 1980 utilizes a concave dish located below the grinding mechanism of the mill to catch ground pepper that may cling to the grinding mechanism after use of the mill. The most obvious problem with this design is that some of the ground pepper will always be caught by the dish. When the user tilts the mill during operation, any pepper that had accumulated from the last use will fall, which means even handling the mill will cause discharge, and regardless of the angle of tilt during use, pepper will accumulate on the dish making accurate control over the amount of condiment dispensed impossible. Further, any pepper at the edge of the dish will fall out when the mill is returned to the upright position and placed on the table after use, defeating the original concept.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,136,491 to Posmanter Jun. 9, 1964 utilizes either a perforated or non-perforated cap to cover the mill, making it look more presentable for table use. The perforated design does nothing to control the amount of discharge of pepper since any change in flow would mean buildup in the cap. Further, the non-perforated design requires that the user remove the cap before operating the mill, otherwise the cap fills with pepper and when removed falls uncontrollably about the table.
Unknown in the prior art is the ability to easily control the amount of ground pepper discharged from the mill. Most recipes that call for pepper use volume measurements. Due to the need of two hands to operate typical crank type mills the user could not hold a measurement device and grind pepper at the same time. What is needed is a means to easily pour fresh ground pepper into any measuring device.
Often there is the desire for a dash of fresh ground pepper in just the right place. Normally any turn of the grinding mechanism of a typical mill will discharge an amount of fresh pepper proportional to the diameter of the mill grinding mechanism and the coarseness of the grind. The act of turning the crank or twisting the mill always causes the pepper to go everywhere but where it is needed. What is required is a way to shake out a small amount of fresh ground pepper right where it is needed.